Page 26 of The Beekeeper

“Okay.” I blew out a breath. “Sorry.” I was fucking this up. Badly. But where was the surprise there? Hadn’t I just told her how I was the poster child for fuck-ups—That was it.

“I’ll help you market your new honey,” I blurted out, my hand itching to grab her arm the way she kept swaying with every fresh insanity I brought to the table.

“What?”

“Your PR problem,” I rambled through my logic. “I can help you fix it. I can help you market your new cinnamon flavor. Who the hell is going to care about drama when you’ve got Blaze Stevens praising your honey?”

Her eyes went round.

I needed to stop calling the product her honey, that was really my problem. Anytime anyone talked about Harper’s Honey, all my single-minded dick imagined was the sweetness I’d find between her thighs.

“We can do some photos and videos of me tasting your—product,” I said, clearing my throat though it didn’t dam up the blood pooling in my groin. “You can post them on your socials. I’ll share them on mine. Your stuff will be so flooded with my fans, you won’t even be able to find the bullies.”

Harper pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it. Slowly. That was how I knew I had her attention. And if she were to look, she’d see it was how she had mine.

“I haven’t done any kind of brand promotion in almost two years, and I haven’t posted on my socials since the promo for my last movie ended. It would be huge visibility for your business.” In spite of everything I’d done, I still carried the kind of fame that could make or break the fate of any company I chose to promote.

“How does that sound?” I pressed, clinging to this idea like it was a damn life raft probably because it was the only option that wouldn’t make Paisley crumble. “I’ll still pay my share of rent and utilities, but for the…trouble, I’ll agree to whatever marketing you want to do for your honey.”

“Whatever marketing?” Her brows rose at the open-ended offer, but I wouldn’t waste my chance to drive my point home.

“I’ve done underwear ads before. If you want me to strip down and bathe in your honey, I’ll do it.” Anything for my daughter.

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

We stood there, our eyes locked on each other like the next word meant there was no going back. That we were really doing this. That I was moving in with a woman who’d hung posters of me above her bed.

“So, you and Paisley can stay here. Temporarily. And you will…help me with launching my new flavor.”

“Yes,” I said and held my breath, waiting for her to back out of it.

Her pulse fluttered along the column of her throat, and then she extended her hand to me. To shake on it.

“Then it’s a deal.”

I engulfed her small hand with mine before she had second thoughts—and before my baser instincts kicked in and had me hauling her against my front and making a different kind of deal. One that would be sealed with a kiss.

“Deal.” I shook her hand for as long as I could stomach and then drew it back. “Thank you.”

“When do you want to move in?”

“I don’t know. I need to talk to Paisley first. And my brother. Probably soon—the sooner the better if that’s okay?”

“It’s completely up to you. Whatever you want to do,” she said and then quickly added, “But you should probably be the one to tell Wade your plan…”

My plan. It was my plan, but the way she said it, I could read between the lines; she needed everyone, including me, to know that she hadn’t been the one to suggest this. That this wasn’t some ploy to get close to her teenage crush.

“Of course,” I muttered.

“Okay, then. I’ll see you back inside.”

I watched her perfect ass walk back inside like I hadn’t just agreed to a deal that looked as sweet as honey but I already knew would sting like a bee.

Chapter 6

Harper

“Harp, are you sure this is a good idea?” Lou slowed herself to my side, Paisley already jogging ahead, eager to check on the hives.